


You're Messing with My Family

by Rogersruinedmylife



Series: LAFD-DisasterBoy [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Bobby and Athena adopt Buck, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker Feels (Supernatural), Minor Injuries, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Team as Family, TikTok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23604229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogersruinedmylife/pseuds/Rogersruinedmylife
Summary: ‘Only one of your favourites? Me seducing you with pole dancing isn’t the highlight of your life?’ Buck teased, closing his eyes as he settled once more.‘No, it’s definitely up there, mi amor, but those Tiktoks of you and Chris or you and our family, those never fail to make me smile no matter how bad a day I have had’.or5 times Buck made Tiktoks with his family and the +1 they made one with him
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Maddie Buckley & Howie "Chimney" Han
Series: LAFD-DisasterBoy [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696384
Comments: 36
Kudos: 615





	You're Messing with My Family

It had been a year.

Exactly one year since the day Eddie had interrupted his Tiktok to use his strength to haul him off the old fire-pole and into his arms to kiss him senseless after months (more like nearly years, if Buck was being honest) of pining on both their parts.

One year to the day and Buck was in the same comfortable position.

Eddie was pressed against his back. His chest a warm and solid reminder of the life that Buck had built, not by himself, but with Eddie and Christopher. The arm wrapped around his waist wasn’t just absently tracing patterns into his warm skin, but an anchor. It held him in the present, focused him on enjoying the domestic bliss that he had achieved.

After Abbey, Buck had given up hope of ever finding someone who made him feel safe, feel vulnerable without shame, who’s mere presence was enough to quiet the storm of his restless soul.

Eddie was everything he had never known he’d needed. He was light and loving, he was Buck’s strength when he couldn’t find it within himself to see the light at the end of a hard call. His hands, calloused and hardened provide the soft touches that he had craved since he was a child, wishing his mother or father would hold him instead of patting him on the head dismissively.

Eddie had given Buck a home when he was still drifting among the havoc of his accidents and misguided attempts to rescue his job.

And Christopher. Eddie had given him a son that he loved fiercely. Someone to protect and hold. Even before they were dating, Eddie had allowed him to all but adopt Christopher as his. Encouraging him to take him out to museums and on trips, trusting him unconditionally with the boy who’s smile saved him from his darkest moments.

Even when they were fighting, when the job wore them raw and left them with nothing but bitter thoughts and harsh words, Eddie had never stopped loving Buck. There was no running away, no explosion of emotions or fists. Whether they were angry with each other or the world, Eddie never let him go. They always ended up as they were now, pressed together for comfort, soft words on their lips and forgiving touches in their hands.

Whether he knew it or not, Edmundo Diaz had handed Evan Buckley the tools he needed to make the type of love he had only read about in fairy tales and trashy romance novels that he robbed from Maddie as a teenager.

Sign of that love and of their life together were scattered everywhere across their house for anyone to see. From Buck’s shoes lined neatly on the shoe rack beside Eddie and Chris’s, the pictures of their family dotted across every wall creating a timeline of their evolution to the clothes in the dresser and Buck’s name signed beside Eddie’s on the updated version of their lease. They had created a home together.

One that stated with certainty for all to see that through the good and the bad, Edmundo Diaz and Evan Buckley were disgustingly in love with each other.

Buck gazed up at Eddie, watching the light dance and cast shadows across his chiseled, stubble covered jaw. He watched the flutter of his eyelashes with each blink, the little furrow of tension and focus between dark brows and the small distressed tilt to his lips as his eyes flickered across the pages of the book in his hand not pressed to Buck’s stomach.

Buck couldn’t smother the smile that was building on his face any more than he could douse the flames of warmth that grew brighter with every day.

‘What’s got you looking like a seven-year-old girl whose crush just pulled her pigtails?’, Eddie mumbled distractedly, eyes drifting from his book for a moment to catch on the bright blue ones staring at him almost in awe.

Buck didn’t take the bait, for once his smart mouth remaining shut as he simply snuggled closer to Eddie, tucking his face into the junction between his neck and shoulder. He shifted to his side slightly, bringing a hand up to hold Eddie’s shoulder, thumb absently running over the slight scars from his time in the service.

‘I can’t read minds Buck’, Eddie hummed, placing his book down to wrap both arms around the koala clinging to him.

‘I just…I love you so much. And our family, it’s a little overwhelming how much I get to have thanks to you’, Buck sighed, nosing at the underside of Eddie’s jaw.

He could feel Eddie’s heart beating against his skin, the tightening of his arms and the press of his cheek to his hair as he leant into the cuddles Buck was demanding.

‘I love you too mi corazón?’, Eddie whispered, tracing a heart above Buck’s hip, ‘It’s crazy to think all of this happened because you decided to be a stripper on Tiktok’.

Buck scoffed, pinching Eddie’s shoulder in retaliation for his comment as the older trembled with laughter.

‘I did not. I just…demonstrated some old skills. It’s not my fault your brain couldn’t handle it’ he glared pulling back from his hiding place in Eddie’s neck.

Eddie smirked down at him, hands gripping his waist teasingly as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively, ‘Oh I think there’s proof enough in that video that I can handle you very well’.

The room filled with silence for about five seconds before they were both falling back into each other, giggling uncontrollably, each clutching at the other and trying to muffle their laughter so as not to wake Chris.

‘That was just awful Eds’, Buck tried to breath through the laughter, burying his face back into Eddie’s neck, letting the feel of his pulse against his cheek sooth his laughter.

‘It was pretty bad’, Eddie smiled, hand raising to scratch through the short hairs at the base of Buck’s skull, ‘but that video is one of my favorite ones you’ve made’.

‘Only one of your favorites? Me seducing you with pole dancing isn’t the highlight of your life?’ Buck teased, closing his eyes as he settled once more.

‘No, it’s definitely up there, mi amor, but those Tiktoks of you and Chris or you and our family, those never fail to make me smile no matter how bad a day I have had’.

_1._

Eddie curled around his son’s quiet form, pressing his smaller body into his as he had done when he was a baby.

The day had been long and hard, draining for both of them.

Despite the passage of time, the anniversary of Shannon’s death never got any easier.

No matter how messy and complicated their relationship was, how bitter they had been towards its end, he had loved Shannon. Once he had wanted to spend his life with her and their son, and even though they both knew it was ending, he had still wanted to be part of her life, to watch her find the happiness he and Chris had in LA and the LAFD.

Eddie still felt her loss. There were days when Chris accomplished something in school or defied expectations and was able to do something others had told him he was incapable of, like skateboarding with the help of the frame Buck and Carla had built, and he wanted to turn to her, to send her a text. Then it would hit him, she was gone and would never get to experience the joy of watching their son grow into the amazing man Eddie knew he was going to be.

Being surrounded by Shannon’s family, stuffed into a too warm church in a suit that made his neck itch with the damp that collected there due to anxiety, Eddie had felt lost once again. It was as if the wound was still fresh. Chris had been withdrawn, awkward in a way he never was, his smile dimmed. He had wanted Buck to come with them, to hold his and Eddie’s hand when the memory of what they’d lost threatened to drown them.

Buck, wonderful, amazing and kindhearted Buck had simply held their son tight and told him that he couldn’t come. That what Shannon, Eddie and Chris had was special and they deserved to celebrate her life without feeling guilty over the happiness they had found with Buck. He had wiped away Chris tears, pressed kisses to both their cheeks and told them he’d have something to cheer them up posted later.

Eddie had just stared at him in wonder, thanking whatever God, deity or lucky roll of the dice had gifted him with someone as loving and understanding as Evan Buckley.

Now, lying in bed with Chris, he was glad Buck hadn’t been there. Especially when Shannon’s brother, drunk and high as he had always been, went on a tirade about Eddie replacing Shannon with a young blonde muscle-boy.

Although he was sure Buck would have been proud when Chris had glared down his Uncle, telling him that his Bucky was a hero and his Mom would be disappointed in how her brother was acting before walking away to get more cake.

‘Daddy’, Chris whispered, drawing Eddie from the replay of a grown man getting taken down a peg or two by a small child. He hummed in response, pressing a kiss to Chris’s curls.

‘I want to….to see Buck’s cheer up surprise’, Chris asked, playing with Eddies hand that was draped across his middle.

‘Of course, mijo, here use my phone’, he handed the phone to Chris, watching as he held it in one hand while using his index finger to press Eddie’s code in before opening Tiktok.

Sure enough, there was a new video waiting for them. He could see from the thumbnail that it was set in the loft of the 118.

Buck was standing next to Bobby in the loft, hands on his hips, one of them holding a wooden spoon, expression serious as Bobby held a half-eaten apple crumble in his hands. Across for them, lined up against the rails was Athena in her Sergeants uniform, Harry, May, Hen and Chimney. Each of them had a piece of paper held in front of them with the numbers 1-5 written in black pen on them.

‘Do you recognize any of these as the crumble thief?’, Buck said sternly, eyeing the line up before him. Hen and Athena gave him dirty looks while Harry giggled, and May looked like she was questioning her life choices.

‘I was in my office, but I did hear the perpetrator singing I want it that way’, Bobby sighed sadly, eyeing his destroyed crumble.

Buck nodded, moving a hand to rub at his chin thoughtfully, ‘Backstreet Boys, I’m familiar’.

‘Number One, could you please sing the opening to I Want It That Way?’, Buck asked politely, while pointing a wooden spoon at Athena.

‘Really Buckaroo? Okay’, she asked raising her eyebrows, fighting to keep the smile off her face before shrugging and starting to sing, ‘You are my fire..’

‘Number two keep it going!’, Buck demanded, pointing at a giggling Harry who half laughed, half sung, ‘the one desire..’.

Number three!’ Buck laughed as May rolled her eyes but obliged happily, ‘Believe when I say…’.

‘Number four!’ Buck was openly excited now, bouncing as Hen dramatically starting belting, ‘I want it that way’.

‘Tell my why’, Buck sang, using the wooden spoon as a mic as he dramatically performed to the five in front of him. Bobby had smothered his grin with a hand over his mouth and fond look in his eyes.

‘Ain’t nothing but a heartache’, the five sang, each dramatically enacting the chorus of the song as Buck encouraged them with every, ‘tell me why’ and throwing in a couple of ‘woo’s’. Hen and Chimney were performing to each other, clutching at their uniform sleeves. Athena had her arms around May and Harry as they swayed, Harry no longer singing but laughing while being smushed by his mother and sister.

‘Now number five!’, Buck sang into his makeshift microphone as Chimney pushed to the front of the group, he fell to his knees as he sang loudly, ‘I never wanna hear you say..’

Harry, May, Athena and Hen had thrown their arms around each other’s shoulders, forming a circle around Chim as they ended the song in perfect harmony despite their giggles.

‘Chills, literal chills guys’, Buck smiled, turning back to Bobby as he rubbed his arms to get his point across.

‘It was number five. Number five ate my crumble!’ Bobby declared as Buck gasped, dropping his wooden spoon and slapping his palms to his cheeks in shock.

‘Oh my god I totally forgot about that part’, he proclaimed just as Harry launched himself at Chim in mock anger and the video ended.

Christopher had tears in his eyes as he shook in Eddie’s arms in laughter, begging between gasp for air, ‘Play it again Dad, play it again’.

2.

Eddie sat shoulder to shoulder with Chimney on the locker room bench. Neither man spoke, taking comfort in the others presence.

They had lost over four people on call in the last seven hours between traffic accidents and muggings. The worst, however, had been a tiny brunette woman in her early twenties. Her husband had called a break in, stating he had found her on the living room floor, stabbed and beaten. Yet once they had arrived on the scene, he had become hostile, trying to stop their attempts to save the young woman before he snapped, attacking Hen and declaring that the ‘bitch had to die for wanting to leave him’.

The call had left them all reeling but it had hit Chimney the hardest. The older man had gone pale when they had arrived and spotted the victim, his hands shaking but still working as hard and fast as he could to try save her. When they had lost her pulse for good after using the defibrillator and performing CPR, Chimney had simply shut down and walked back to the truck.

Once the husband had been booked and taken away by officers and the scene released to crime scene professionals, they had rallied around Chim. Buck had taken his friend in a tight hug as he whispered brokenly, ‘It could have been Maddie’.

Eddie had watched as his boyfriend fought back his own tears, squashing down his own pain and worry to comfort Chimney, simply whispering, ‘I know, but it wasn’t’.

The mood had been tense after that. They all remembered the trauma Doug had caused in mere twenty-four hours and what they had all nearly lost. Bobby had taken one look at the far off look in Buck’s eyes before steering him away from the others and asking for his help making lunch. Eddie had nodded to Hen, telling her to go nap while tugging Chimney to decompress.

If anyone knew that sometimes you just needed a second to gather your thoughts, to feel the horror and disbelief of a situation, it was Eddie.

So he sat there greeting silence and tension like an old friend and let Chimney work mentally through the what if’s.

A soft knock on the door alerted them to a third presence in the room before Buck walked before them. He shot a watery smile at Eddie before plopping ungracefully down on the floor in front of the two men. Eddie suppressed a smile as one of his hands automatically went to rest on Eddie’s thigh, which Eddie quickly covered with his own, squeezing it lightly.

‘Hey Chim, I have a video that might cheer you up a little’, Buck spoke softly, his tone reassuring as he held his phone out to Chimney. Eddie could see that it was open on his LAFD-DisasterBoy page.

‘No offence Buckaroo’, Chimney sighed dejectedly, shooting a half hearted smile at the younger firefighter, ‘but I don’t think you thirst trapping Eddie will do much for me right now’.

Eddie shoved at his shoulder, muttering a ‘hey, rude man’ as he did, earning him a small drop in the tension in Chim’s shoulders. Eddie counted it as a win.

‘Just watch it Chim, and not everything I do is a thirst trap for Eddie’, Buck scoffed, ignoring the eyebrow raise Eddie directed at him.

Chim nodded, taking the phone from Buck and clicking play on the video. Eddie shifted closer to watch as Buck rested his head on his knee, pulling Eddie’s hand to play with his hair as they watch it.

On the screen, Buck and Maddie were facing off. Both of the Buckley siblings were crouched in defensive positions, readying for battle with pillows clutched in their hands tightly.

‘Prepare to die little brother’, Maddie teased gleefully, her face set in determination.

Buck scoffed on screen, ‘Dream on Madeline’, and then the audio began. It was the sound of a clock ticking and suddenly, the Buckley siblings were firing questions at each other, starting with Maddie.

‘When’s my birthday?’, she demanded, pillow held high. Buck muttered a shit, eyes closing and face screwing tight in concentration before answering, ‘May 12th? No wait shit!’, but Maddie was already in action. The pillow in her hand colliding with Buck’s face as she laughed.

‘Damn it’, Buck shouted before launching into his own question, ‘How tall am I?’. Maddie didn’t even blink, answering ‘6’2’ proudly before hitting Buck with her pillow as he cursed once more.

‘What’s my favorite color?’, Maddie laughed. Buck froze again before answering, ‘I don’t know, pink? Girls like pink right?’. His answer came in the form of two swift pillows to the face.

He spluttered under her assault before righting himself, ‘How did I break my leg when I was 16?’.

Maddie’s grip on the pillow slackened, ‘Um, fell playing football? I don’t remember you breaking a leg’.

‘Ha!’, Buck laughed finally getting to hit Maddie with a pillow, ‘I broke it falling out of a tree when a wasp flew too close to my face!’.

At that declaration, Maddie lost it on screen, stumbling forward to laugh against her brother’s shoulders as Buck held her close.

‘Okay, okay’, Maddie took deep breaths pushing away from Buck, her face flushed from the laughter, ‘Polka dots or stripes?’.

‘Polka dots!’, Buck yelled before Maddie smacked him square in the face with a pillow. It was clear that the game was meant to keep going but Buck fired back at her, starting an all out pillow war before the video cut out with the sounds of their happy laughter and pleas of mercy from Buck who was on the floor as Maddie wacked him repeatedly with her pillow.

Chimney was watching as the video played again, the tightness in his shoulders unwinding with each burst of laughter from Maddie. He reached down to take Buck’s hand squeezing it gentle in a soft silent thank you. Buck simply held his hand, content to sit with Eddie playing with his hair and Chim’s hand in his as he reassured himself that Maddie was okay.

Eddie tugged at Buck’s hair lightly, getting the other to look up as he mouthed, ‘I love you’ at him. Buck simply smiled and pressed a kiss to Eddie’s knee.

3.

‘Eddie, oh man’, Jensen slid into the gym, her hair wet from the shower she had taken once they’d gotten back from a restaurant fire.

Eddie shook out his hands before reaching to stop the singing of the punching bag. He’d run into an old army buddy who had been dining in the restaurant. They’d always been friendly throughout his service but he had taken Eddie’s retirement as a betrayal and had stated as much for everyone to hear during the call. Eddie had ignored him as best he could, attending to other patients but he had hovered around him like flies on a bull on a hot Texas day, bringing aggression to the forefront of Eddie’s mind.

‘What Jensen?’, Eddie bit out, taking another swing at the bag once it was steady, following it with a quick succession of upper cuts.

‘Alright iron fists take two seconds to check out the new LAFD-DisasterBoy update. It might save the department some money and get you to stop breaking our gym equipment’, Jensen rebutted, standing steady in the face of his misplaced anger. It was one of the reasons Eddie liked her so much. She didn’t take his bullshit.

He let out a sigh, steadying the bag again before running a wrapped hand over his face, brushing his hair back from his eyes, ‘Sorry Jensen, that guy just got under my skin. Let’s see that video, no more punches, verbal or otherwise’.

Jensen nodded, stepping up beside him. She gave him a quick once over, eyes checking for any injuries he could have given himself from the bag recoiling. Once she was satisfied that he was done being stupid for the moment, she hit play on the video.

Buck was standing at the front of the screen, his two hands clasped in front of him holding a small version of Captain America’s shield in recreation of one of the Marvel movie posters. When the first notes of the audio played, he looked up, a smug smirk on his face, mouthing ‘You shouldn’t mess me, you don’t wanna mess with me’. He brought the shield up as he talked, warning the viewer with his eyes that he meant what he was saying. He had a cocky grin on his face as he looked to the side and then back, throwing another confident look at the camera before mouthing, ‘Cause if mess with me, you’re messing with my family’.

At that, he ducked out of frame revealing all of the fire-family’s kids in a semi-circle. Each of them was striking a battle pose and looking menacingly at the camera and smirking at each other. May, being the tallest, was at the end and was dressed like Wonder Woman. Harry was beside her, making web shooting motions with his hands wearing a spider man t-shirt, Denny next to him had a fake Thor’s hammer and red blanket around his shoulders as a cape while Jensen’s ten-year-old twins were dressed as Iron Man and Bat Man. In the middle was Chris in a Superman costume, head thrown back in laughter and Denny’s hand on his back to steady him. Buck popped up behind them, holding a giggling Nia in his arms who was wearing a Chewbacca onesie and clapping her hands as he smiled and cooed at her before the video cut out.

‘Didn’t that just melt your ovaries?’, Jensen teased softly, one of her sharp elbows nudging Eddie in the ribs.

‘Jensen, I don’t have ovaries’, Eddie chuckled, unable to tear his eyes from her phone screen.

‘Sure you don’t Diaz, but you can’t tell me the sight of Buck holding a baby and surrounded by kids isn’t making our knees weak’, she smiled, her own eyes fixed on how happy her kids looked in the video.

‘He’s always been able to make my knees weak’, Eddie replied softly before throwing her a smirk, ‘But don’t tell him that, he’s getting too big for his boots after the thirst traps’.

4.

Eddie had felt guilty. The emotion churning in his gut and leaving him dragging his feet as his family bustled around him. Even the delight on his parents and Christopher’s face from their surprise trip back home for their wedding anniversary were tinted with the feeling.

Although he was happy to see his parents, to hug his sisters and meet his newest little niece in person rather than through patchy facetime sessions, he had left Buck behind for the weekend.

The younger hadn’t been able to get the three days off that they needed to surprise Eddie’s parents. He had sent gifts with Chris and Eddie, cards and actual wrapped ones, along with promises to make the next trip to Texas. He had assured Eddie he would be fine, that work would keep him from moping around their empty house and that he had plans to have a day out and dinner with Bobby and Athena on his day off.

Eddie knew he would be fine, realistically. It was just that Evan Buck Buckley had a magnet fused into that ridiculously hot boy of his that only seemed to attract trouble and injury. Not being there to have his back, especially when the younger had gotten injured as recently as two days ago, left him nervous.

The feeling eased a little however when Bobby, of all people, had sent him a link to Buck’s Tiktok account while he was sitting on his parents porch nursing a beer and enjoying the cool night air while the sounds of his family’s laughter drifted out the open windows.

Buck, May and Harry were sitting on the main couch in Bobby and Athena’s home, eyes closed and fidgeting. Said couple were standing behind them, Athena leaning forward with her hands on the couch while Bobby stood straight and relaxed as he always did, his eyes fondly watching the three on the sofa. Above their heads, Buck had little colored boxes of text stating, ‘Dad’, ‘Mom’, ‘Lil Bro’, ‘Lil sis’.

And if that didn’t make Eddie choke with emotion, he’d be a lying man.

‘Who would be the first to get arrested?’. Athena without hesitation pointed straight at Harry as did May, Bobby pointed at May and Buck pointed at himself grinning which earned him an eye roll from Athena.

‘Who is most likely to die doing something stupid?’, everyone immediately pointed at Buck who was pointing at himself and laughing with a shrug.

‘Who would fart in public?’, all fingers went back to Harry, Athena giving her grinning son the stink eye suggesting he had done so before, and judging by Harry’s face, he had found it hilarious.

‘Who’s most likely to become an actor or actress?’, this one split the group with Athena and Bobby pointing at May while May and Harry pointed at Buck. Buck simply shook his head and shrugged.

‘Who’s most likely to fall in love with their best friend?’, again everyone immediately pointed at Buck who was smiling shyly with his eyes closed and biting his lip as he pointed at himself.

‘Who’s most likely to be on a reality show?’, Athena pointed at Buck with an eye roll, Bobby pointed at Athena who then glared at him, Buck and Harry pointed at May who was also pointing back towards her mother.

‘Who’s the better cook?’, the kids could be seen weighing their options while Buck loyally pointed at Bobby who ruffled his hair fondly. Everyone else, including Athena, point at Athena.

‘Who has more common sense?’, all fingers pointed to May.

And the last one, ‘Who spends lots of money on dumb things?’, it was a tie between Buck and Harry. May pointed at both of them while Bobby pointed at Buck and Athena pointed at Harry.

Eddie smiled, his nerves easing as onscreen they opened their eyes before Athena threw her arms around the three of them, Bobby resting a hand on Buck’s neck as the video ended.

Even if he wasn’t there to remind him, Buck had a family that loved him, and they would watch his back while Eddie was away.

‘He makes you smile more than I have ever seen you do, mijo’, Eddie’s fathers voice scared him as he stepped out the door, settling onto the porch swing beside his son.

Buck’s bright smile flashed through Eddie’s mind as he played with his phone the screen now dark, ‘I feel…I feel settled when I’m with him. I love him’.

His dad nodded, smiling at him in understanding, ‘Your mother makes me feel the same way kiddo. That’s how you know you’ve found your soulmate. They don’t complete you, mijo. They settle you and make you want to be the best version of yourself. I’m happy you’ve found that’.

5.

One of the video Eddie hated and loved at the same time was one Buck used to make him laugh after he had gotten injured on call again.

Eddie had been on loan to another station, filling in during another freak earthquake. He worked well with the 121, they were a solid crew and although they lacked the family quality that the 118 had, they were like a well-oiled machine. Efficient and capable under pressure.

They’d spent the day pulling apart car pileups, digging through rubble and pulling people out of the way of falling debris in the aftermath.

His muscles were aching despite the hot shower he had grabbed when a relief crew finally took over after 24 hours on duty and he wanted to settled into his bed with his boys cuddled close to him to remind himself he was one of the lucky ones. His family had survived another horrific disaster and for the next twenty-hours he planned to remind himself of that by spoiling them both.

He had just pulled into the 118 parking lot round the back when his phone starting buzzing beside him. He picked it up thinking it would be Carla or his Abuela checking in on him. Confusion hit him when Mi Amor flashed across the screen, signaling that it was Buck calling him.

‘Hey Buck, why are you calling me? I thought the relief crew arrived, are you not at the station?’, Eddie question, his heart thumping anxiously as he awaits an answer.

‘No, I’m inside’, Buck hesitated, his voice sounding wary, ‘Um, Eds, I need you to do me a favor though before you get here’.

Eddie sighed, hand coming up to rub his temples in an attempt to sooth the headache he could feel building up, ‘Baby I’m already in the lot and I’m sore and exhausted. Can you come out so we can go home and let Chris cuddle us to death?’.

‘It’ll just take a minute Eddie. You don’t even need to leave the car, just…. just watch my latest Tiktok then come inside okay?’, Buck sighed, sounding every bit exhausted as Eddie felt before hanging up without another word which was unlike him.

Reluctantly Eddie pulled up the video, wanting to get whatever it was Buck wanted him to see so badly.

The minute the audio started Eddie groaned, just knowing Buck had some how gotten his big himbo self injured once more, probably while doing something heroic.

Some awkward background music played as Buck walked down a hallway and out into a waiting room.

‘Heeey’, the audio commented awkwardly as the camera switched to look at Buck. Across the screen was the writing, ‘Making my way out of the ER to face my team after being injured again’. Buck in the video had a bruise running from his temple to cheek bone with small cuts and scratches dotting his skin. Eddie could see a makeshift sling tied around his neck, suggesting he had injured his arm or wrist.

The camera then panned, one by one, to different members of the 118 along with Maddie and Athena. Hen was seated, elbows resting on her knees as the audio repeated ‘heey’, she was glaring at Buck. Chimney was smiling slight, eyes cataloging Buck’s injuries with a slightly distressed looking Maddie tucked into his side.

‘How y’all doing?’, the audio posed as it settled on Bobby and Athena. Athena had her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed in a mix of disappointed, exasperation and worry while taking in the sad image of Buck before her. Bobby looked on sadly, almost as if Buck’s pain had hurt him as well, before striding forward and blocking the camera’s view as he hugged Buck. The video ended.

Eddie took a moment to rest his head on the steering wheel, half heart-warmed by the video and the sheer love and concern his family displayed for Evan. The other half was just tired of seeing the man he loved in pain.

With a deep breath, he made his way out of his truck and into the station where Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley was sitting on the steps to the loft, poking at his go back with his foot. The bruises looked worse and more painful in reality; his neck reddened from the shifting of the sling against sensitive skin. He was a sorry sight, and it made Eddie’s heart clench.

‘What’s the damage, mi amor?’, Eddie sighed, crouching in front of Buck to place a kiss on his bruised temple.

‘Some nasty bruises and a badly sprained wrist’, Buck muttered tiredly, letting his forehead fall forward to rest against his shoulder, ‘Are you mad?’.

Eddie swallowed his emotions that threatened to spill out at that statement, so brokenly asked and tired.

Instead he cupped the back of his boyfriend’s head, ran his fingers through wild and tangled blond hair, whispering ‘No, Evan. I’m not mad. Let’s go home so we can get some sleep’.

+1

Eddie was sitting at the island in his kitchen, laptop open in front of him, once again chatting away to his parents but his mind was elsewhere. His knee bouncing out of sight with nerves. He twisted the chord of his earphones distractedly, tugging gently as to not to displace the buds from his ears.

Christopher was sitting on the kitchen counter-top in front of him, watching and helping Buck wash and peel vegetables for the picnic they had planned to go on after Eddie was finished his call with his parents.

Or that’s what Buck thought anyway.

As his son made eye contact with him, giving him a little ‘okay’ sign with his fingers when Buck was looking away, he knew the plan was about to be put in action.

The plan being that Chris was going to convince Buck that he just had to embarrass his dad by featuring him in another Tiktok. He had shown Chris the Tiktok in question. It was a popular POV video that had been bouncing around various accounts. In the video one person pretended to be playing a video game or listening to music with a head set on when the other said I love you or confessed something, the one in head phones would ask what before revealing on of their ears weren’t covered and they had actually heard what had been said. It was right up Buck’s alley and something his audience would enjoy.

With Christopher suggesting that he do it, that Eddie would be baffled and the happily surprised when Chris and Buck showed him the video while at the picnic, Buck wouldn't say no to the idea.

Eddie watched over the screen of the laptop as Chris used Buck’s phone to show him the video Eddie had told him to look up. He could see the way Buck lit up with mischief and delight, giving Chris’s curls a ruffle as he did so.

Now, he just had to wait.

He tried to follow the conversation on screen, he really did, but his parents recounting the tale of a relative who had somehow gotten tangled up in his yard hose (again) was barely keeping him from jumping the gun and ruining what he had planned. He pinched the inside of his arm, taking a breath and focused, muttering back to his parents in rapid Spanish.

*

Buck was excited over the prospect of a new video. The one Chris had shown him was just of one person having a conversation through text and pretending there was another there, but he knew Eddie’s reaction would be hilarious on camera and in person when they showed him the finished result.

‘Alright superman, you ready?’ Buck smirked, handing Chris his phone. He had instructed him earlier to start recording the video when Buck was in front of where Eddie sat. From Chris’s perch he would capture all of Eddie’s face and the side profile of Bucks, making for a good video.

He dried off his hands, making his way over and leaning on the island as if he was looking for something. He glanced back at Chris who poked at the screen and gave him a thumbs up.

Buck gazed back at his boyfriend, smiling softly at his laughter and admiring his face before stating, ‘Hey babe, I love you’.

He could see Eddie turn towards him slightly, muttering in Spanish before looking up at Buck in confusion. He shifted an ear bud out of his ear, ‘Did you say something mi amor?’.

‘Nope, not a thing’, Buck smiled as Eddie gave a hum in recognition of his answer.

Buck turned away from the island and towards Christopher who was smiling over the top of the phone at him, he shrugged, pretending to be bashful and a little disappointed at Eddie not hearing him.

He went to step forward and take the phone from Chris when arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back into a strong chest. His heart stuttered in surprise as Eddie hooked his chin over his shoulder.

‘I love you too, Evan’ Eddie stated softly, his voice wavering slightly and before Buck could respond or lean into his embrace, a hand moved into his field of vision.

Buck felt his eyes grow misty, his breath catching in his throat as he stared in surprise at what was in front of him.

‘Will you marry me, Evan?’, Eddie asked gently, holding Buck against him with one arm around his waist, the other holding an open ring box with a simple silver ring with a small raised design of three intertwined lines running through the middle of the band.

He felt tears on his cheeks as he pressed his forehead to Eddie’s temple, nodding dumbly as one of his shaking hands went to cover Eddie’s.

‘I need a verbal answer Evan’, Eddie sniffed, holding back his own tears over the pure joy and surprise radiating from the beautiful man in his arms.

‘Yes, a thousand times yes Eddie’ Buck choked out before he was pulled into an enthusiastic, if slightly salty kiss that was interrupted by soft laughs of disbelief.

Christopher stopped recording, letting his Dads bask in the moment as they held each other close, whispering soft I love you’s and I can’t believe you want to be stuck with me forever’.

Instead he posted the Tiktok to LAFD-DisasterBoy with a simple caption.

‘My dads are finally getting married #LAFDFireCouple’.

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, I cannot thank you enough for all your comments and love <3
> 
> It's actually making my days when I get a comment notification. And thank you for suggesting ideas, I mightn't have used the exact ones some of you suggested but I used the tone of them.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this one!
> 
> I honestly had the B99 on in my head since the start and finally found time to use it!


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